Shadow Seed

by Jose Rodriguez

CHAPTER TEN

  “Doesn't look like we're going back to Vesuvia anytime soon, does it?” Janah asked. She and Nedim were standing in a crenel, watching a massive Pelasgian army march towards them.

  Nedim rubbed his eyes. “I'm sure Sayar would be thrilled to hear that.”

  “Hey, it's not my fault he's cranky all the time,” Janah said.

  Nedim stood stoic, and then cracked a small smile. It was all he could do to keep himself from laughing.

  “What?” Janah asked.

  “We're staring death in the face,” Nedim replied. “And all I could think just now was that, yes, he is cranky.”

  Janah waved her hand in Nedim's face to get his attention. “You're okay, right? Don't lose it now.”

  “I'm fine,” Nedim said. “My apologies. I have doubts. In our time, we've never faced a threat such as this. All we've known is peace, and I fear we may not be prepared to turn the tide this time.”

  Janah ran her hand across the wall. “I need to study our history more. I mean, I read what happened in battle, but I didn't see anything as far as our cities were concerned.”

  “From what I read, our cities were spared,” Nedim said. “After losing contact with the Prometheans, we linked up with the Fenrir south of Tiamat and reinforced the Khothu there. Two days later, the three of us swung back down to Vesuvia and drove the Pelasgians out of Rhea.”

  “You don't suppose they plan on breaking through our walls, do you?” Janah asked. “I mean, why like this? They could have snuck in at night with a portal inside the city.”

  “I suspect it is the same reason Lilith doesn't open portals haphazardly,” Nedim answered. “I'm fairly certain that Pelasgian creature is limited to what she can see.”

  Janah scratched her neck and laughed. “Yeah, that would be funny if their whole army marched into a bottomless pit by accident.”

  A Persian soldier passing by stopped. “You two might want to step back. We're locking down the city.”

  Nedim and Janah went down to the street to join an army being led by Sayar.

  As the walls closed, thousands of torches were lit. The only openings to the outside were small crenels and passages leading to walkways along the wall, where hundreds of Anubians took cover behind a second set of crenels and began firing upon the Pelasgians.

  Sayar handed Nedim two armlets. “Good, you're both here.”

  “Wait, you're actually going to fight?” Janah asked.

  “No!” Sayar said. “I'll be at the Palace. You're to remain here and help the Third Dune defend the southwestern wall. Nedim, you have rank and experience so I'm promoting you to Baivara of Wind Four.”

  “It would be an honor.” Nedim bowed.

  Sayar looked at Janah, and seemed as though he was about to say something before slowly shaking his head and leaving.

  Nedim slipped one of the armlets on. “Janah, if things go wrong I'm going to need someone I can count on. If I may, I would like to appoint you as my Hazara.”

  With a face beaming like she'd won a fortune, Janah crossed her arms. “I'll take it!”

  “Thank you,” Nedim said, handing over the second armlet. “Now, let's assume the worst and plan accordingly.”

  Janah immediately put the armlet on. “I'm not really one for planning. I think a good tactic is to kill them as soon as we see them.”

  “No...no,” Nedim said, stroking his chin. “Once the Pelasgians are inside, there will be little to stop them, unless we barricade the streets and keep them in bottlenecks.”

  Janah narrowed her eyes. “Are you asking what I think you're asking?”

  Nedim nodded, “Unless you can think of a better way to keep the Pelasgians from rolling over us, I see no other choice.”

  “I thought you'd go with the tried and true method of bait and kill.” Janah said.

  “Out in the open I would,” Nedim said. “But inside the city, I don't want to risk being overwhelmed and cornered.”

  Janah looked at her soldiers with confidence. “No worries, we can handle it. If the Pelasgians we fought in the Shadow Realm are anything to go by, it shouldn't be too bad.”

  “Thanks,” Nedim said, walking around to see the layout of the area. “I know I am asking a lot of the Persians but, if it works, it should stop the Pelasgians dead in their tracks.”

  “Just make sure you aim high,” said Janah.

  At that moment, a loud explosion from outside shook the city wall.

  Janah cringed. “What was that?”

  “Wait here!” Nedim said running towards the sound.

  “Hey!” Janah yelled.

  On the second tier outside, several Anubians were still getting back up when Nedim arrived. As some of the dust settled, he could see Vela preparing to fire another large ball of energy.

  “I shot a few at her,” an Anubian covered in blood and dust said. “But she's way too fast. She dodges them like nothing, and up here we don't have much room to maneuver.”

  When Vela fired, Nedim immediately took aim and shot an energy blast to intercept it. The explosion threw up a torrent of sand.

  For a few seconds, it was hard to see anything.

  Nedim never saw a volley of three smaller energy balls until it was too late. One killed an Anubian as the others hit the wall to his side and below him. The blasts were strong enough that Nedim was thrown back through the passageway.

  “And you call me hasty,” Janah said, grabbing Nedim's arm and pulling him inside.

  Nedim nearly coughed a lung up as he stood. “They've got a Myrmidon out there.”

  “That's...not good,” Janah said, concerned. “At least we came up with a plan that'll work, right?”

  The wall was rocked by another explosion.

  Nedim grabbed Janah by the hand and ran down the stairs to his group of warriors. “Fall back two streets,” he ordered.

  The Hegirans rapidly moved with discipline. Almost as soon as they were in place, a large section of wall suddenly collapsed.

  Seconds later, another blast could be heard further down. Under Vela's onslaught, the Anubians outside began to close the passageways as they retreated.

  “Persians,” Janah called. “Pelasgians are outside the city. Any moment now they will be upon us. Our task is to barricade them here at all cost. Kill many, and kill quickly.”

  A quick, sharp growl in unison was the Persian soldiers' way of showing they understood.

  The Anubians spread themselves out on the city's second and third tiers along the roofs and open spaces overlooking the streets below.

  “One line,” Nedim ordered. “We have Hegirans down there counting on us. Now focus!”

  After several explosions blew more holes in the wall, the ominous sound of marching could be heard.

  “Stay steady,” Janah said.

  As the Pelasgians poured into Siriso, they immediately ran at the waiting Persians.

  “Take aim,” Nedim commanded, watching as the Pelasgians came within a block of the barricade below, and giving the order, “Fire!”

  A hail of yellow energy balls tore into the Pelasgians, slowing them down enough for the Persians to withstand the brunt of the charge. But as effective as it was, the full weight of the Pelasgian army was pressed against the Persians within moments and it became a pushing contest with shields, spears, and swords.

  “At the barricade, the barricade,” Nedim yelled, telling his men where to concentrate their fire.

  Several Pelasgians took aim and unleashed a barrage of arrows.

  Nedim quickly took cover behind the ledge, though some of his men were hit. He stood up to continue shooting, and almost instantly, an arrow struck him in the hand.

  Falling back into cover, Nedim cradled his hand. When he felt the pain of trying to pull the arrow out, he instead took aim at the Pelasgians and fired an energy blast. The arrow in his hand disintegrated, leaving nothing but a small bloody hole.

  Janah ran up to the third tier and found Nedim wrapping his wound.

  �
�How is the barricade holding?” Nedim asked.

  “It's holding for now,” Janah answered. “I wasn't expecting this kind of pressure.”

  “What are you doing up here?” Nedim asked.

  “Bad news,” Janah said, “I saw a green glow in the distance. When I came up to the second tier to see what it was...well, have a look for yourself.”

  They went over to the opposite side of the walkway where they had a view of Siriso.

  Throughout the city, numerous yellow plumes from explosions were erupting, and from those, the silhouettes of Erinyes and griffins could be seen.

  Nedim sat with his back against the ledge. “This is going to be a long night.”